The most common profile for someone susceptible to radicalisation typically involves multiple personal and social factors rather than a single defining characteristic. Key vulnerability factors include:
- Struggling with a sense of identity or experiencing an identity crisis, where the person feels distant from their family, cultural, or religious background and uncomfortable in society.
- Personal crises such as family tensions or traumatic events that produce feelings of isolation.
- Experiencing discrimination, racism, or a sense of injustice.
- Low self-esteem, unmet aspirations, anger, frustration, or confusion about life or the world.
- Exposure to extremist narratives offering a sense of belonging, purpose, or excitement.
- Alienation due to migration experiences or local/community tensions.
- Unemployment or underemployment affecting life goals and civic engagement.
- Associations with criminal groups or having links to criminal activities.
- Influence from peers, family members, or online extremist material.
These factors often combine, making individuals more receptive to extremist ideologies by providing them with a sense of identity, community, or answers to grievances. Radicalisation is often a social process involving contact with recruiters or like-minded peers, both offline and online, with the internet playing a key role in spreading propaganda and facilitating communication. There is no single profile, but vulnerability often emerges from complex personal, social, and contextual issues.
